


Hell at Boot Camp

by AlexanderTemple



Series: Hell at Boot Camp [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Boot Camp, Child Abandonment, Child Abuse, Diapers, Discipline, Punishment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 12:41:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21320350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexanderTemple/pseuds/AlexanderTemple
Summary: There is a growing trend in the United States to send a troubled child or teen to a discipline camp. This story follows the experience of a young girl at one of these camps, the worse of its kind. The experiences she has are similar to many that some have had in reality. This is a story of abuse and the need for strength and hope. It could upset some people.
Series: Hell at Boot Camp [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537009
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. Such a bad girl

** _Note from Author:_ **

** _There is a growing trend in the United States to send a troubled child or teen to a discipline camp. This costs a lot of money, but parents are at their wit ends on what to do. Parents who worried and seemingly hopeless moms and dads who put their hope, faith, and trust in these 'behavioral modification' programs - are also unaware of the shocking reputations of boot camps for troubled children and teens, which includes mentally and even physically abusing children. In some extreme cases, physical abuse has even resulted in the deaths of adolescent children._ **

** _Most of the examples in this story are documented in reality. _ **

** _It is a harsh story, and the sad element is it happens as we read this._ **

_*************************************_

Why did my mom expect me to be such a Barbie doll? Maybe it was from the days when she could dress me in pink cute clothes, and make me look like a porcelain doll. However, I was 12 now and in 11 months I would be a teenager. I did not want people to think that Heidi (That's me) was a spoiled baby. I wanted to be able to choose how I looked and acted. This was hard for mom to accept. Did she not understand that It was bad that I decided what I wanted to do and how I should look?

I did not know who my Dad was, and the fact is that Mom was not sure either. She obviously loved partying before she had me. I would have loved to know mom when she partied all the time and was not so much like a mom. Now we lived alone in a small apartment and mom had 2 jobs. She worked at a lady's clothing store and she cleaned houses. When she came home, she was hyper cleaning or cooking. Its strange she had time to get mad at me.

This all started one day when I came back from the park. Mom was waiting for me with a list of questions. Where was I? Why was I wearing clothes that she thought revealed so much? Was I high?

She demanded answers. I shouted that I hated her and walked by her and went into the bedroom and slammed the door shut. I did not think that the shorts were too short and everyone had belly tops. I admit that I sniffed glue. Most done that and it made me feel good. Mom should just chill out. You know what the wise people say... you only live once.

That night, I woke up and seen mom beside me. I pretended to be asleep as I did not want to hear any sermons about that everything I do is wrong. Mom had her head buried in her hands and she was crying.

"Where did I go wrong?" she said as like it was a prayer, " What happened to my princess? How did I let her take the wrong path? Where will you end Heidi? You know that I love you! I just do not know what to do!"

I wanted to answer mom, but I was too tired and I had a headache. Did she really think I was a bad girl?

The next day I skipped school. It was 3 weeks since I last went there. I did like school, but I liked other things much better. Like today, I was going to the mall. This was a good place to spend the day. It was like a dreamland. I would stare in shop windows and imagine buying everything I wanted. Then I would meet my friends. This was fun, We mostly chatted, but sometimes we got in trouble by the security guards. I was even caught for shoplifting once. Mom was not all that happy about that.

When I came home, Mom was calm sitting in her chair. She quietly told me she received a letter from the school. They miss me. I was trying to think of what to say. Mom interrupted me before I could start and said she was not stupid. She decided that it was a waste of time getting mad and punishing me. At any rate, she reminded me that It was now holidays.

She told me we were going on a trip for the weekend. That was fine for me, as it was summer now. She told me it was a children's camp called RAD camp. I never heard about that camp before. She would not tell me so much about it, except it was run by someone that was a marine and I would not need my beach clothes. I sighed as what camp did not have swimming?

The drive to the camp was long. I was in a belly top and denim shorts. Mom did not even complain that my belly was showing. She sat quietly as she drove the car. I asked lots of questions like would my friends be there and what games we would play. I was just told that I would find out.

We finally came to the camp. I was shocked. It had a big fence around it, like the ones you see at a prison. Some man in a military uniform opened the huge gate as we drove in. It looked like a military camp! I couldn't see any playground or campfires. The sign said "RAD – Respect and Discipline". I told mom that I wanted to go home.

"So you can hang at the mall all the time and tell me how much you hate me?" she asked, "This weekend will do you good!"

When we go out of the car, I saw some children crying. One was saying that he did not want to come back and he promised he would be good. This was going to be a long weekend.

We were led into a big tent, where this black man stood waiting for us with a long whip in his hand. Mom was excited, while I questioned myself how this will be a good camp.

"Welcome To RAD. My name is General Cody. Many of you here do not know why you are here. Now I will tell you. You have become a burden to your parents and society You think you are tough and some are so spoiled, they think they are the center of the universe. For the next week, you are mine. When you are good here, you earn points and when you have received 60 points, you can go home. The only other way out is if your parents want you home earlier."

I gave mom one of my worse looks. She explained that she was at her wit's end and when I told her that I hate her, she knew that she had to do something. This was the last chance I had. If I kept on doing what I have done, it would be far worse. It would be juvie or being taken to a foster home.

General Cody told us that we had 5 minutes to say goodbye to our parents. I looked around and some children started crying and begging. I was mad as I realized that mom wanted to leave me here. I demanded that she take me home. I was not going to stay in this weird camp. I could see mom look around she had a look of doubt. Then general Cody grabbed me by my arm and said that I had no right to demand anything. He looked at mom and said she had no choice. Then mom came to me to give me a hug. I told her to "Fuck off" and I definitely hated her now! Mom was in tears as she sat in the car and drove off. As for me, I think I was in a state of shock. How could any parent leave their child at a military camp?

As the car was out of sight, the general told me that I have minus three points. He told me I should be ashamed that I told the woman that gave birth to me that I hated her. I wanted to ask him if Hitler was his dad, but I decided it was not the time.

All the parents were gone, and we were told to go back to the tent. We would have lunch before we officially started. So I sat in the middle of a bench. This boy sat next to me. I just looked down at the plate and could not believe my eyes. It was roasted insects! There was no chance in this life that I would put insects in my mouth!

" My name is Noah," the boy said

" and I am Heidi. I cannot believe you are eating those"

" This will be the best meal you ever get!"

" No way"

I threw the plate on the ground and ran outside. There was no escape. There was a high fence all around the camp. This was no camp. It was like a prison or a concentration camp. No matter where I went, I would end up at the fence. Even the gates we came into was now locked.

I found a huge tree behind some bushes and I sat there and hid. I usually never cried but now I just let it out. I was locked in this camp and I did not want to be here. It upset me that mom just gave up hope and left me here. She obviously didn't care that we just had insects, and there was a high fence all the way around. I became more upset as I thought she just put me here so she could go on some holidays.

This worker found me and sat next to me.

" My name is Harry," he said and explained General Cody told him to find me.

" I want to go home, I do not want to stay here!" I cried

" Well, you are here now. My advice is just to follow the program, get the 60 points and get out of here, hopefully as a better person"

" I already have minus points"

" Yes and -5 points more added, as you threw your meal and left without permission"

" That is not fair!"

" That is what it is like here. If you do not follow the rules, there will be consequences. You have been lucky. General could order us to put shackles on your feet or to handcuff you"

" That must be against the law!"

" General Cody is the law here. I will always try and help you, but you must stay out of trouble!"

So I slowly walked back to where everyone else was. The General was shouting and told us to stand in line. It was time for inspection. I decided to get these points quickly and get out of here. It took us a bit of time to form the perfect line.

"As you know my name is General Cody and you have all been sent here because of one reason. You are poor excuses as human beings. You are all brats and do not deserve to have parents. You do not know what the difference is between right and wrong."

I yawned and didn't care who seen me yawn.

"This will change. I now own you all until you can get 60 points. I will break you all down and then rebuild you with real changes. You will experience pain and frustration. You will get tools for becoming a good member of society. There is an alternative, but this is not nice."

Then he came up to me and said he knew he would have fun with me. I would be a challenge as I already had minus 5 points. Then he looked at my clothes and asked why I had such revealing clothes on.

His face was in front of mine and he shouted and yelled. This must have been heard miles away. When he yelled, I could feel his spit on my face, " You have no right to wear clothes that are so revealing! You are just asking for trouble Misses! I promise this. I have my eyes on you. I will not fail you! You will be new when I am finished with you. You may not make your mom proud now., but you will!"

He then handed me a black jumper suit and told me to put it on. I looked around for a place to change. The general shouted to just get changed there. It made no difference as I already have shown so much skin. So while tears were building up, I took off my clothes. It was so embarrassing that everyone could see my panties. I quickly put on the jumpsuit. It looked like something a prisoner would wear.

Then the general told me to lay on the ground, which was gravel. This was like laying on a bed of nails and it was then I realized that the day was so hot, as if we were in the middle of a heatwave.

The General gave everyone jumpsuits. They were all light blue, except Noah (the boy I met earlier when we ate). He had an orange one on. The general explained that the light blue ones meant that we were complying with the program. The orange ones were for them that had very little hope. Then he pointed down at me laying on the gravel and said the black ones were for special punishments.

Then the general laughed and said that I will find out that wearing black was not the best thing to wear in a heatwave. I asked could I get up and that made him laugh more. The other children were told they had a break while I just laid there. After 10 minutes, I was sweating as the sun was very hot. Still, I was not allowed to get up. As time went, the more agony I was in. The gravel was like knives and without a pillow, I had pains in my neck and back. On top of all this, I felt like I being baked in an oven. The sun was so hot. The thing was that the punishment was so long. After a half-hour, I was sure that I was close to dying, I started crying because it was hot and the pains.

The general came by and smiled and said I was not done.

My mouth was now dry and I was so thirsty. An hour went by and I was now just trying to find a more comfy way to lay down. Nothing worked and the conditions became much worse. I felt so faint and thirsty, and my skin was burning. This was not a punishment, it was torture.

After 1½ hours, the general told me I could get up. I was still to wear that black jumper-suit. He then gave me a lecture that I should respect my body and wear clothes that showed that I did respect it. He said a bunch of things, but I was so hot, so thirsty and weak. After he finished talking, I was shown this barrel with rainwater. I was told I could drink some water. I do not think that water ever tasted so good.

Then we heard the Generals whistle, so we all stood in that inspection line. We were told that we needed to go for a walk before bed. So we started going on a hike up a mountain. Most of the children thought it was no problem. General said we would be walking for 2 miles. This made many groan, especially me. I was still in agony after the first punishment. It was good that Noah was walking beside me, as when he noticed that I was tired or wanted to give up, he took my hand and encouraged me promising me that I could so it. This was despite that my legs were like logs that I had to force to move. Once again tears were flowing down my cheeks.

I do not know how I did it, but I managed to get back to the camp. We were told that we could get something to eat. It was some tinned food and looked like dog food. It tasted like dog food. This must be another punishment as I had to force every spoon in my mouth. Noah explained that I should eat as much as possible as the food would not get better. I asked him how he knew. He admitted that this was his second time at camp.

After that so-called dinner, we were told it was time to sleep. It must have only been 8 pm! We were told that we each had a small tent we could sleep in. So we brushed our teeth and washed so much that we can and found our tent. I sat in the tent looking out. It was too early to sleep, and to be honest all the things that I experienced were just confusing my mind. Why was mom so cruel that she would send me here where we were treated so badly?

Harry, the nice staff member I met earlier walked by and told me I should sleep. I just looked out as I felt like I could decide when I slept. The general must have seen me and blew his whistle once more. This confused everyone as they did not expect that we would be forced to stand in the inspection line. After some time, we found ourselves standing there.

The general stood before me and his face was just in front of mine as he shouted, "ONE THING THAT YOU ALL MUST UNDERSTAND AND GET IN YOUR SKULLS. WHEN I SAY TO DO SOMETHING, IT IS NOT A REQUEST... IT IS AN ORDER! YOU ARE NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT. YOU ARE NOT TO QUESTION IT. YOU JUST DO IT!"

Then he explained that I constantly disobeyed him. He said he suspected that we were all tired after a long hike, and it was good to get some sleep. He looked back at me and told everyone I disagreed. This meant that I wanted everyone to do a chore.

So we were each given a shovel and told to move a pile of sand to another spot. It was a huge pile! So we line up, took a shovel of sand and moved it to the other spot. For each shovel we took, it became heavier and heavier. Our legs were tired after the hike, so it was hard walking with a shovel of sand. It took an hour to do it!

When we were done, the General told us he did not like it there and we could move the pile back to the original place. Everyone groaned at this which made him smile again. The general said that they should not blame him, as it was me that refused to understand what this camp was about. So we started moving the sand back. This time we were like zombies and tried our utmost to do the job. I was tired and every bone in my body ached and I could feel blisters starting to come to my hands. Besides that, everyone was giving me bad looks.

After that stupid punishment, we were back in our small tents. I felt so alone in mine. It was also so cold and my body and mind were in agony. I started crying wondering if I was so bad, that I deserved this. I was alone at a place where there was one punishment after another. I was at a place that believed in torture. I promised myself that I would survive and get the 60 points. I also knew that I would never forgive mom!

It was just not me. I heard crying and sniffing that most likely came from other tents


	2. I will Survive

Sleeping in a small tent by myself was a cold experience, and the small mattress we had was very hard. Despite that and the way I felt, I did manage to get some sleep. This was disturbed as the sun showed its face, and this trumpet was playing and the camp staff was shouting that we had 15 minuted to get up, brush our teeth and get washed and get our jumpsuits on.

Harry threw a jumpsuit in front of me. It was orange. I remember the general telling us that orange jumpsuits were for them that was very bad. Harry must have seen this, as he said that the General has a special interest in me. He always had one child that he thought deserved his methods of salvation. I did not say a word. I was beginning to hate the world. I hated my mom and hated the camp.

After we had to do morning exercises. This was quite hard as I was still half asleep and mad at the world. I also hurt all over because I was sunburned. This must have been because I was forced to lay in the sand for ages and being baked. Despite the pain, I did what the General told us to do. I did not let him hear me moan and complain. I put on my brave face.

After the exercise, I raised my hand and told the general that I was sunburned and my face felt like it was on fire. I asked if the camp had any lotion that would help me. This made him laugh and asked did I think I was on a holiday camp.

We had breakfast and once again I sat next to Noah. He had a similar story than mine and he was not happy that he was back again. He told me that he tried doing everything the General wanted and when he was allowed to go home, he was much better. He did not hang around with anyone that would get him in trouble. Even at home, he was polite to his mom and helped her do things. Noah was sure that she did not love him, as one day two men came, put him in handcuffs and dragged him back to camp. I felt sorry for him, and it reminded me that all the children here had a similar story.

It was time to go on a hike again. Today we would be walking several miles up a steep hill. We were not allowed to talk. It was not like we had a lot of energy to talk, as we were still tired from the last hike. Our legs were so heavy and it took a lot of effort just to put one in front of the other. They were like logs of stone! Some of the other children were moaning and some even crying. They complained that this was torture and they wanted a rest. The General just told them to continue.

It was torture and I did not want to complain or do anything else bad. General Cody picked me out as being a bad apple, and this is why I was already wearing an orange suit. Mom thought I was bad and now this camp thought I was. They thought there was no hope. They wanted to bring me down by humiliation and torture. Then they wanted me to build me up again as the girl that they wanted.

This was not going to happen!

I knew that I was not a bad girl. I knew that I was not evil. Sure I was no saint, but this did not justify me being seen to this camp. I would bite my lips, play the sweet girl that they wanted and thus get the points. I would let them believe that their strange program works. In the end, I would have the last word. I would never forgive or trust mom again and I doubt I would ever love her. As far as I was concerned, she was no longer a mother that I could use. As for the camp, I would tell the whole world about it.

The problem was that going up a hill was hard, especially when we were getting towards the top. Stones were in the way and we had to crawl over some big rocks. Everyone was in pain except the general. I tried to forget the pain and struggles by looking at the nature around me. Every time the general looked at me, I did not complain and smiled back at him. To be honest, I think that this annoyed him. It is good that he could not see the agony my body was in.

After the hike, we were advised to sit in some quiet place and think about our lives. We were told that a staff member would come after a while and give us chores. I sat under the tree. I tried to think if there was any reason I was here. The fact is that I was not as bad as any other one my age. I did shoplift once and I did sniff glue. I would never shoplift again. I learned my lesson there. I could say no to sniffing glue. This still did not make me bad!

It could be that they just wanted me to be obedient to mom. They wanted me to allow her to decide what I liked and how I looked. The problem is that this was not working. There was no way in the world that I would ever forgive my mom! I no longer trusted her and she was the evil one for bringing me here. She was probably sitting home laughing at the way we were treated here.

I saw the other children doing chores. Some were washing dishes, other carrying rubbish and some scrubbing floors.

Harry found me and told me that he was my personal staff member. He took out some lotion and told me that this would help the sunburn. I gave him one of my famous smiles and said thanks.

"I am not like the general." he said, " You are not a bad girl. Like so many here, you should be at some summer camp where they have fun."

He told me he had a special chore for me. He led me to a garden behind the kitchen. He showed me the herbs and vegetables that they planted there. He told me that I could help keep the weeds away and keep the place alive. Harry was smiling, saying that it could be my garden, for as long as I was here. I weakly smiled back. I didn't know what to say. At least it was better than scrubbing floors.

The rest of the weekend was the same. We exercised, hiked, done chores, listened to long speeches and slept in the small tents. Some children broke down and cried so hard and this seemed to please the general. As for me, I tried to make the best of things. I would smile and give polite answers. If I was in pain I would try and concentrate on something like nature or someone who was in more pain than me.

Our parents were coming to take us home. The general gave us a speech before they came, " I hope you all have learned something while you were here. Some of you now know the wrong path you were on. You have got the 60 points that you needed. Others will need to stay for a week more! We never give up hope. I do have one warning for you all. What you have experienced here at RAD stays here. You are not to tell anyone about the punishments that you have seen. If you do, you will not like the consequences!"

I had to smile at this, Why would he not want us to tell about the punishments and torture? The police would have questions if they knew.

Mom came and was full of smiles. The first thing she said was that she noticed I got some sun. I felt like telling her how, but the General was close by. Then she gave me a hug and told me how much she missed me. Again I bit my lips so I wouldn't say anything.

Mom took a picnic with her, and it was the food I liked. She talked and talked about how her week went. She had a good time. She went to a spa, went shopping, went to a hairdresser and visited old friends. While she was doing all this, she said she missed me. I smiled at that, but to tell you the truth, I did not believe in anything she said.

I looked over at Noah. He was having some picnic with him. I do not think that he enjoyed it. I could see him eating a sandwich, while his mom was waving her finger at him. She was obviously mad at something. I felt sorry for Noah, as at least my mom was trying her best.

The big question is what was worse, Noah's mom being honest or my mom saying she loved me and missed me.

Mom must have been reading my thoughts, as she asked did I still hate her?

It was good that the General stood there and said it was time to read the children's names and points. He told us that those that had 60 points could go home. Those that did not enough points had to say goodbye to their parents.

The General started reading names and points...

Joseph 64 Clarence 72 Julie 69 Ryan 82

and on and on he went

Noah 52. I looked at Noah and I felt sorry for him. I could see him bury his head in his hands. I knew he was crying and I could understand this. He was so close to 60 and now had to stay here for a full week! It was like being a prisoner. I would also bet that his mom did not want to take him home.

I looked around and seen a few other children that were under 60. They were in a panic, crying and begging. I was wondering how parents could not see the pain and fear in their children. 

Then he read my name and I held my breath. It was like the world fell on me when he said 52! I could see that smile on his face. I looked at mom and gave her a hug and told her its good she missed me, so I could go home. Mom just smiled and said that I was nearly 60 points. She thought another week would be good for me.

I asked how she knew as she was walking towards the car. She tried giving me a hug but I pushed her away. I shouted that she should try a camp for parents that was like this one and I still hated her... even more.

Mom just sat in the car with tears in her eyes. I stood next to Noah as he was also looking at his mom drive away

I was full of emotions at this stage


	3. Surviving the Devil

When mom drove off and left me at this hell on earth camp, I just ran to my place under the tree. I was cursing everything and everyone I could. It was strange that I had the same amount of points as Noah. I could not understand the points. When I compared myself to some that got 60 and over, I was confused. I did not cry and complain. I endured the torture that he gave us. The only answer I could think of was that the general would only let us go when he got tired of us. This suited mom as she was having fun.

Noah found me and sat down next to me. We did not say anything to each other. That was good, as if I opened my mouth, I would cry in desperation and frustration. I expected that Noah was the same. The General would mostly punish and torture us all week, so this was the only time that we could feel sorry for ourselves. The hardships of the camp were something we could survive. It would become a bad memory. However, the bullying by adults, not feeling loved and being told we are no good is something that would scar us for life.

Harry found us and said we should be doing chores. He smiled and said that Noah could help at the kitchen garden. So we started weeding and watering the plants. This could not be called a chore, and definitely not torture. It was the only time that I didn't feel like it was a bad place. Harry was patient with Noah and me. He told us how to do everything and how to help things grow. It was about the only time that Noah and I smiled. Harry explained that this chore will show us that there is no such thing as a bad child. We just had to learn how to do spend our time doing constructive and positive things. As I gardened I thought about his words. I felt a bit ashamed that I always did not do positive things. I could be a better person!

We soon had to eat, and once again we got tinned food that was half ways warmed up. This was food that tasted like old leftovers. You had to shove it in your mouth and do your best swallowing. I tried not to think about what it was. I had this image in my head that some poor dog was looking for his cans of dog food and would never guess that we were eating them.

We were not supposed to talk when we ate. I knew this but I had to tell Noah about the dog needing his food. The problem was after I told Noah, he started laughing. So General called us up and asked what was so funny. I thought that being honest would get me some points so I told him the joke. I should have known that the man had no humor.

The general stood up and ordered Noah to sit down. Then his face was right in front of my face as he shouted, " NO WONDER WHY YOU HAVE A ORANGE SUIT. YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE THAT THINKS THE WORLD OWES YOU. YOU DONT REALIZE THAT YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN A STARVING CHILD IN AFRICA. THEY WOULD LOVE TO EAT THE FOOD HERE! THE QUESTION IS WHAT DO I DO WITH A GIRL THAT THINKS SHE IS THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING?"

He told me that I needed to know that beauty and being self-centered was not important. He would change that. He told me that I am not allowed to eat for 48 hours. I can only drink water. I could see the look of shock in Harry's face. I did not believe that he was serious until he told me to leave the eating tent. He was serious. He did not want me to eat for 2 days.

I went to the garden while the others ate, and tried to think about positive things. I could lose some weight and eating that tin food crap was most likely bad for my health. I forgot about the punishment and started taking care of my plants and vegetables. I did consider them special now. It was like the care I gave them made them happier and grow more.

While I was gardening, I was annoyed because my hair was getting in my eyes. So I took a break from gardening and sat on a stone and started putting my hair in a ponytail. As soon as I started, the general ordered me to stand attention. He was now shouting again and asking was I more worried about how I looked than doing my chores? He did not wait for an answer but warned me that I was his top priority. The punishment for my vanity was that I was not allowed to take a bath, wash or brush my teeth for 2 days! I protested saying that I was gardening, but my hair was in my eyes. He then extended the punishment to 3 days for answering him back.

It was time to go on another hike. It was like the general knew nothing else except hiking! The good thing was that it was becoming easier. My body was a wreck, but It was I accepted. The problem was that I was so hungry and thirsty. My energy levels were very low. I was sweating and my stomach felt so weak. At one stage I fell down because I was so weak. Noah tried to help me up, but he was told that I did not need any help. I managed to get up and struggled for the rest of the hike.

When we got back from the hike, the others were allowed to eat lunch. I was given a bottle of water and told that I was not allowed in the eating tent. So I went to the garden and worked a small bit there. I loved my plants, but I admit that I was so hungry that I could eat them. I didn't do this, as I thought they deserved to grow to their full potential.

General Cody found me once again and demanded to know how many of the garden vegetables I ate. I told him that I did not eat anything, despite that I was starving. He shouted at me to get my toothbrush. When I found it, he showed me the toilet and told me to clean the floor with the toothbrush. I didn't believe him at first and thought this only happened in films.

Cleaning the bathroom floor was hard. I had to clean between the floor tiles and I don't think they were ever cleaned. The fumes from the cleaning bucket were strong, especially when I was hungry. I tried to think of positive things, but this was too much of a punishment. Not only was my body destroyed, but my mind was also in pieces. I scrubbed and scrubbed. I tried to forget the hunger and pains in my knees and back by singing a song to myself, talking to myself and at last crying.

When the general came back, he found the floor clean and I was crouched down in a corner and crying. I was swinging back and forth and had my head buried in my hands. The general did not help. I just heard him whisper to himself that everyone broke at some stage. He then told me I could garden.

I didn't realize it, but I spent most of the day washing the floor of that bathroom. I was so hungry that I was now getting pains in my tummy. Drinking water helped but only lasted for a few minutes. As I was gardening, I felt dizzy and fell to the garden floor.

Everything went black.

When I woke up, Noah was standing above me. He was begging to the general to let me eat something. The general just shrugged his shoulders and ordered me to get back to work. He then accused me of faking that I fainted. I did not say a word, I just got back on my feet slowly.

Noah and I continued in the garden as he went. I asked Noah why he was always helping me. He made sure that the general was out of sight and gave me a slice of bread that he snuck out. I slowly ate it and it was the best thing that I ate in my life.

Noah told me that he had no friends. Somehow he reminded me of a sister he always wanted. I smiled and gave him a hug and admitted that I considered him as a best friend. He was like a brother that I never had. Suddenly this made things much easier. I felt like I was not alone. I had a friend that would help me through this hell. Noah must have been thinking the same, as he was smiling too!

I was happy that I did not have to clean my teeth that night. I had two more days to wonder how I would brush my teeth when I was allowed. All that I knew, is that I would not use one that scrubbed a bathroom floor.

We had an inspection and the general gave us a speech reminding us that we were here. Our parents could not cope with us and we were bad statistics. The General hoped that we would learn and decide what we would change who we were. He looked at Noah and said that most have a hope of being better, but some are a lost cause.

I slept well that night, despite that I was so hungry.

The next few days were the same. We would hike and do chores. My health was deteriorating fast as I was so hungry. This made everything that I did much harder. I felt so weak and I felt like I was a walking corpse. I drank a lot and I even ate leaves from a tree! Noah sometimes managed to take a slice of bread for me. He was very worried, especially when I was so weak, that I fell and could hardly get up.

On the third night, I managed to sleep. However, during the night, the General told us all to wake. It must have been about 3 am! We all stood up and put on our jumpsuits. Then we were told we were going on a hike in the night. The General told us that he was in a good mood, which meant that we would only be going on a mile walk.

This was possibly the worse experience I ever had. My body was weak and it had hardly any food for days. It was also dark and this meant that everyone was stumbling over rocks and things. It was pure dark and it was cloudy, so there was not even moonlight. There were also so many weird sounds. It was like we were walking on some haunted path or angry animals were just waiting to attack us. The general got mad at anyone that started complaining. He did not mind people crying.

I was so afraid. I was weak, hungry and afraid. If Noah was not there to hold my hand and support me, I would have broken down and cried and even screamed. I do not know how I managed it, but I managed to walk that long dark mile.

I could not sleep when we came back. I was in a bad mood, tired and hungry. I remember when Mum used to tell me that sometimes, a person's body can be so tired, that it is hard to fall asleep. Nothing seemed to help. I even counted sheep. They looked so tasty

The next day was special. I would be allowed to eat. I couldn't wait until the inspection was over. It seemed like the general's speech on how bad we were was longer than usual.

I walked proudly where the others were eating. I sat down next to Noah and thought I would eat the tinned food as it was better than being starved. However, there was no plate in front of me. So I walked up to the general and asked him if I could eat. He smiled and said my eating area was in the corner. I looked at the corner and could only see a dog bowl and a glass of water. He explained that it was me that called camp food dogs food.

So I sat down in the corner on the floor and could hear the other children snicker and tease. I had a choice to eat or to starve. Slowly I took a small spoonful and starting eating while I heard them giggling and teasing. I was thinking that the general reduced me from a human being to a pet, all so that he could break me. It was him that was dangerous because he seemed to like the torture and humiliation.

After breakfast, I got sick by the garden, Noah put his arm around me and helped me sit down after. He gave me some water so the taste was gone from my mouth. He said I got sick because I ate after days of starving. I put my head on his shoulders and told him that this is the worse place on earth.

"No it could get far worse," he explained, "I head that the general has a place in some poor country. Sometimes children disappear here. The rumor is they are sent to this camp which is a basement under some factory. The children here are slaves and they work in the factory all the time, No one is looking for them as parents think they have run away!"

Noah was going to tell me more, but the general came and asked us why we were resting and not doing chores. Noah tried to explain that I was sick. The general didn't care. He was in the middle of telling us how lazy we were. Then he told us that it was time to go on a hike.

We met at the inspection line. Some of the big children said that I smelled and I looked a mess. I told them I was not allowed to bathe or brush my teeth. This made them laugh and tease more. I was nearly in tears. The general just stood there and said nothing,

We had to walk 3 miles and the General had to backpacks. He said that Noah and I were to be punished for being lazy. We had to carry this backpack all the way. When it was on my back, I nearly toppled over. It was so heavy.

We started walking and Noah said to me that he knew that I would survive this, I did not know. The bag was so heavy! I tried looking at nature and thinking of how beautiful things were. That did not help. For every step I took was like a kilo was added to the backpack. It was hard when we were at the steep part of the hill. My legs ached, my arms ached and my back felt like it was broken!

When we came back after the hike to the camp, the general said we could empty the bags. We could keep its contents, but he wanted the bags. When we opened the bag, we found that they were full of rocks. I just fell to the ground thinking that I walked with a backpack full of rocks, just so that the general would smile.

The day came when our parents would come and take us home. I was confident that I had the 60 points, as I nearly had them the last time.

The general told us to get cleaned. He looked at me and said I need to get washed and he reminded me to brush my teeth.

This made me cry as I remembered my toothbrush was used to clean the toilet floors. After I took a long shower, I stood before the mirror with my toothbrush in my hand. I could not do it. It would be disgusting if I used this brush. Just as I was to put it in my mouth, Harry appeared. He gave me a new toothbrush.

Mom came and she smiled and said I was not as sunburned as the last time she was here. She also noticed that I lost weight and asked did I miss her food? I said nothing and just sat there. I didn't look at my mom or give her any hugs. The way I figured it was she did not deserve any.

The general said the same as the last time. Some would go home and some will stay. In fact, only two got under 60 points. It was 2 boys. Then he read Noah's points up. He only got 27 points. I wanted to run and hug Noah and tell him that I will help him escape.

My name was the last one to be read. I only got 27 points as well. This did not please mom who said it was fewer points than the week before.

Mom told me to come to the car, so she would say goodbye to me. I did my best to hold back the tears that I had another week here.

I did not want to say goodbye to my mom. I did not want to hug her or even speak with her. I ran and hid under the tree while the 3 others were saying bye to the parents.


	4. Alone

So we were left in the camp. 3 Boys and me. I didn't say goodbye to mom as she didn't care about me anymore, I didn't care enough to say goodbye to her and giving her a hug would be wrong. I was mad at her. Did she not check this camp? Did she think we were an ordinary summer camp? Did she not care that I looked like I was messed up? The answer was a clear no!

The general called us to inspection. He told us we look so sad because we were still at the best camp in the country. He told us a hike would cheer us up. This must have been one of his worse jokes yet. Was hiking the only thing he knew how to do?

I was in a grumpy mood and did not want to go on a hike. So I fell to the ground pretended that I fainted once again. Noah knelt down and started helping me by giving me water and telling me it will be OK.

General shouted and was the maddest I ever have seen him. He asked himself why it was always me. I admitted that I was faking about being sick and that was because going on a hike 3 times a day was boring.

He grabbed me by my hand and took me to the administration building. He led me to a little door under the stairs. There was a cage inside that. I was told to sit in the cage. He then closed the cage. As he was closing the cage, I told him he would never break me down. He just growled at me as he locked the cage and the door.

I was in this small cage and it was dark. There was not a lot of room to move around. In fact, the only thing I could do was to sit. I couldn't stretch my legs or anything. I could just sit here and hope this would not be a long punishment. I was so afraid of the dark. I never liked the dark. Even at home, I slept with a light on. So my mind was full of thoughts and fears. If something attacked me from the dark, I could not run.

Noah came and opened the door. He was shocked that I was in a cage. He gave me a bowl of lunch they had that day. This made me realize that I must have been in the cage for hours. I begged Noah to rescue me. He told me to be strong and think of good things.

The door closed and I was in the dark again. I heard the general shouting. It was obvious that he caught Noah coming to give me some food. I listened to the shouting for a while, until everything became quiet.

Silence is bad, as it means that you are alone and something dangerous can happen. I had so many pains in my body as I could not move. I really needed to stretch my legs and lay down after. I needed to run and jump. I needed to do anything than sitting here. The worse thing happened when I realized that I wet myself! I didn't have an accident like this since I was 5 years old.

Wetting myself was the final draw. I started screaming and yelling. I used every forbidden word in the English language. I cursed everyone and told them how much I hated them. I must have been screaming and shouting and hitting the bars as my voice got hoarse. Then I started crying and swaying back and forth. I was feeling sorry for myself. I suppose I had a right to, as no 12-year-old girl deserved to be locked in a cage.

At last, the general opened the door. He smiled and said that I was here for 1½ hours longer than I should have been. He helped me out and noticed that my eyes were red from tears and I was shaking. I could hardly stand up as my legs were so bad. They suddenly went to sleep, and I hate the feeling when a leg goes to sleep. He told me to lean on him until I could stand.

"You do know that I do not like punishing you?" he said, "The problem is that you push my limits and refuse to accept that you are a bad apple that needs fixing."

I didn't say a word. I was still in a bad place as my mind and body were like it was spaghetti. I felt like I was on the verge of going crazy.

Then the general noticed that I wet myself. Then he started asking why I could not wait. He lifted me up and took me to the infirmary where there was a nurse. Everything was so strange after the cage. I found it hard to move my hands and legs and they were shaking. When someone spoke, then it was like it echoed as every word just repeated itself. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing would come out.

I heard the nurse ask how could I go to the toilet when I was in a cage. Then I heard words such as rules... hike... stay... brat. The general went and the nurse undressed me and did something. I fell asleep on the examination table.

When I woke up, I was on a bed. The nurse was beside me waiting for me to wake up. She asked if I felt better. I nodded. Then she told me the others were on a hike, but I was in no condition to go on any hike. My body was in shock after the bad experience in the cage, so she told the general that I was not to go,

I said I wanted to speak with Noah.

The nurse was about to answer when I noticed that I had diapers on. I demanded that she take them off, as I was no baby. The nurse explained that it was a rule that if anyone wet themselves, then they wear diapers for the rest of the camp. This was so humiliating and so downgrading.

I walked out of the infirmary and looked for Noah. I couldn't find him anywhere. They were back from the hike, as I could see the other two. When I asked them if they saw Noah, the only answer I got was them asking me if I was wearing a diaper. This was of course not what I asked.

The whistle was blown and the inspector wanted to speak with us. He told us that Noah had run away from the camp. This saddened me, as Noah promised that he would support me while I was at this camp. Now he decided to run away, and this was without me. I wanted to fall to the ground. This was now the worse thing that could happen to me.

General Cody said that he was worried. He explained that there are many dangerous animals around. This was one reason why there was a fence around the camp. We would just have to pray that he was safe.

One of the boys looked at me and said that I needed to remember a diaper changing bag if I tried to run away. He was breaking a rule by speaking during the inspection. Why did the general not get mad at him? In fact, the general just stood there laughing. I looked at the boy and whispered the acne on his face would scare any wild animal out there. This was obviously the boy was something he did not want to hear. The general yelled at us telling me to keep my comments to myself or I would be visiting the cage again.

We were told that we could do chores, so I went back to the garden. I planted some seeds that would one day be vegetables. Maybe we could eat them one day and not the tinned food that the camp had. I quickly got lost in the gardening and forgot everything else. It was like the garden was a paradise in hell. I did not have to think about mom or being at this camp. The General wanted to break me down and mold me into a girl that mom wanted. This was not to happen.

If I looked at the positive side of being in the camp, it was that Harry showed me gardening could be fun and something I liked to do. It didn't matter if I was dirty or if I did not look like a top model. I was helping plants and vegetables to grow. Whenever I was allowed out of this hole, I knew that gardening would be a new hobby.

The general suddenly appeared. What did I expect? It seems like every time I smiled, he showed up just to make me suffer. He asked me what my friends would say if they knew I was wearing a diaper. I didn't answer him. It wouldn't be a problem because as soon as I left this camp, I would be wearing panties again. The General must have known what I was thinking as he warned me to be careful. He said wearing diapers meant the bladder became weaker, and at one stage I would need them.

He asked me if the diaper was wet. I was so ashamed when I realized that it was. I was sent to the nurse's office to get it changed. She said that my punishment to the cage really had an effect on my mind and body and this was the reason why I wet the diaper and did not realize it.

When I came back to the garden, I was not as happy as I was earlier. I felt my body shake as I wondered if I would be wearing diapers for the rest of my life. I was ashamed as I realized that I wet the diapers without even knowing, and had to go to the nurse.

I suddenly started thinking about Noah. I really missed him. Why did he have to run away? He was the one person that supported me in the camp. Don't misunderstand me, I did not fancy him or consider him a boyfriend. Noah was just a true friend. Now he was gone, it was like a hole in my heart. I kept asking myself if I would ever see him again. What would happen if the General caught him? I ended up by saying a short prayer for him.

Harry came and found me and told me to sit beside him.

"We have to talk," he said, "I know that you miss Noah. I also know that you have received more punishments than any other person I know. You are not a bad girl. Do not listen to anyone who says you are. You do not deserve to be here."

" Tell mom that!"

" You must work to get out of her. The alternative is not good! Get the 60 points and go home!"

" I miss Noah!"

" The truth will be found out about Noah. He did not listen and now has to face the alternative - "

Just as I was about to ask what he meant, the general stood behind us and started yelling at Harry. He told Harry that he was too soft and had no right to tell me what happened with Noah. Harry tried to defend himself, but it was no use. The general told Harry to pack his things as he was fired!

Now I lost my best friend and the only staff member that cared about me.

The general blamed me for Harry being fired. He told me to fill a bucket with dirt from the garden. He wanted me to carry this bucket everywhere I went. I could not believe it. It seems like the general could write a book on the most unfair punishments. The general told me that I will always have my "beloved" garden with me.

Lifting that bucket was torture as it felt like my hands continued to grow longer. My muscles and my back hurt. Several times I fell down on the ground. I suppose the good thing was that we did not go on any hike.

I honestly do not know what was worse, carrying the bucket or feeling I was so alone. The boys teased me every time they saw me. They asked if I missed my boyfriend was I still too much of a baby to have a boyfriend. Then they teased me about the diaper. I was so humiliated that I just wanted the world to swallow me up. One thing was the punishments that my body received, but words hurt just as much. This was especially because the two boys were just as many victims in this hell camp than I was.

Night came and I was happy I did not have to carry that stupid bucket anymore. I was in my small tent peeking out to see if I could see the stars.

Suddenly someone took my hand and forced me out of the tent. It was the two boys. I was thrown from one to another like they were playing volleyball. I begged them to stop, but they blamed me for the general always being mad. They were going to teach me a lesson. So they started slapping me. I was crying and shouting for help. They continued to slap me, and the slaps became harder. They were now punching me all over. I begged for them to stop and promised I would not make the general mad.

They told me they would break me. The pain was too much and I collapsed to the ground. I was crying and begging and could hardly breathe because of the pain. They told me that they were not done. They started kicking me in the stomach. I was sure that I would die! They didn't seem to care, they continued kicking.

I closed my eyes and heard someone say that I had enough.

Everything went black.

I woke up and felt the pain all over. The nurse was taking care of me. She smiled and told me that my body was in a mess. The boys broke my ribs, and my bladder and kidney got quite a beating. I did not have the energy to say anything.

General Cody was there and was told I would be in bed for a few days. My rib would heal, and so would my kidney. She was unsure about my bladder.

The general looked down at me and said, "You sow what you reap. Looks like you will be wearing diapers for a while. Remember that you are to tell no one about this. As far as I know, you picked on the boys and ended in a fight."

"That is not true. They did this and you let them"

"If you tell anyone that, there will be consequences!"

I was in sickbay for the rest of the week. The nurse was nice, but I still did not like her. After all, she allowed these punishments. She may not have punished anyone, but she turned a blind eye to it and patched people up.

The day came when mom would come. I was out of bed but decided not to see her. I hid under the tree in my garden. I did not want to hear her brag about how good her week was. I did not want her to see that I had a diaper on and I had pains all over. She would just blame me. Besides this, I was sure that the general wanted me to stay here. I decided to wait here until the parents went again.

Time went by and Mom found me. She sat down next to me and told me that she heard I had a bad week. She heard I had a fight with some boys and ended up with a broken rib and a damaged bladder. She told me the diaper would only be temporary.

Then she took my hand and said let's go home. I looked at her in a puzzled way. She simply smiled and said that I was above 60 points and was now allowed to go home.

When we were in the car, she told me things would be different now. She asked me did I still hate her?

I said nothing but looked out the window. The nurse was consoling Noah's mom. She was most likely told that they could not find Noah.


	5. Home Sweet Home

When we came home, it was so strange. It did not seem like home. It was more like a distant memory. I felt like I was a guest. This was strange as I lived here all my life and was only at the boot camp for the summer.

I went into my room and sat on a beanbag. I remembered what I was like before I went to the camp. I remember it was fun listening to music and going to the mall to hang with friends. I did not want to stay at home and listening to Mom's bickering. I sat on the beanbag thinking about this girl.

That girl was gone.

I definitely did not want to go back to the camp. I didn’t like the place. My body was punished in every possible way. I closed my eyes and remembered what the general made me do. He starved me, got others to beat me up and locked me in a cage. I started swaying back and forth at remembering what he did to me. It was one thing that he tried to destroy my body. It was another thing that he tried to destroy my mind. I was thinking that even Satan was nicer.

I did not like General Cody. Not only was he mean to me, but he was also mean to Harry. He sacked the only member of staff that cared for the children at camp. General Cody also punished Noah.

I started thinking about Noah and started crying as I swayed back and forth.

Mom heard my cry and came in and sat next to me and hugged me.

“The boot camp must have been hard,” she said, “What happened? How could it be so bad that it has you in tears? Did they make you work hard? What happened?”

I looked in her face but said nothing. She hugged me tighter and said she had no choice but to send me to the camp, as I was on the wrong path. Then she went on about how much she loved me and she was glad the camp could help me. This confused me. How did she think it helped me?

Mom told me that we can try to be happy now. She told me I did not need to wear diapers at home. I smiled as I took them off.

That was as far as I smiled. I felt sick when mom gave me a hug and it was just a punishment looking at her. How did she expect me to love her and trust her when she sent me to that camp. She only asked after I came home if bad things happened. She did not ask this before she put me in this camp. How did this lady expect love and respect?

If I told mom what happened there, she would tell the general and I would be locked in that cage for life!

The camp changed me!

I did not go to the mall like I used to. I did not get cheeky when my mom said something. If she asked for help to do the dishes or some housework, then I did it. It helped pass time when I was like a maid working around the house. The house never looked so clean or tidy. Mom didn’t mind at first. She thought it was nice having someone to help her. She would speak and try to start a conversation. I would just say yes or no. I did not want Mom to know I hated her. She would just send me back to camp.

Mom noticed that I was not who I once was. She noticed I only said yes or no. She noticed I didn’t want to go out. She was worried. She didn’t know if it was because of camp and asked herself why I was always swaying back and forth on my bed mumbling and crying. Maybe she wanted her old daughter back, the way I was. The only time mom would really get mad at me was when she noticed that I wet myself. I wet myself all the time, and I simply could not control my bladder. This was humiliating. Mom was mad because of it and I was mad at myself.

Mom tried being nice. She told me to come out to the backyard and showed me a small garden patch. She told me it was mine and I could make my own garden there. I gave her a hug and started crying. Maybe there was hope!

At school, things were different as well. My friends seemed suddenly so childish. All they talked about was the mall and the boys. When they talked about what the first kiss would be like, I had nothing to say. They would complain about teachers and homework. They were like little children that did not understand how evil some people could be and they did not understand what torture was. After a few days, they thought I was no longer fun and this meant I was alone at school.

I loved gardening. I planted some flowers as well as some vegetables. It was like I was mother Earth that made things grow. It is very strange when you toil over some dirt and in time you see life grow from it. It added to the beauty of the world. Of course, at the moment, my plot was just dirt. But after a week of toil, I knew there were seeds in the ground and this was the start of new life.

I did not know if I was happy or not. I was so afraid. I was afraid mom would send me back to the camp. This meant I did everything she said and just answered yes or no. I did not want to have a conversation with my mom. She would say to me that I seemed so sad and ask did I miss the camp. When she said this, I would get anxiety and try and even be more obedient.

I constantly wet myself, even at school! This made people shun me more.

One day, Mom came to me and sat on the side of my bed, “You have not been the same since you came home. You wet yourself and constantly sway back and forth like you no longer want to be alive. You do what I tell you, but we do not talk. I have this feeling that you do not love me. I have this feeling the camp did not fix you right? Did I bring you home too early?”

I gave mom a hug and wanted to tell her that I wanted to be home. I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted her to make me a little girl again and not worry about the General. I wanted to be able to love life again and not worry. I told mom that I just was worried about my bladder. I told her I was being teased at school for wetting. I could not believe I heard me tell mom that I needed to wear pull-ups. I asked mom if we could see a doctor.

Mom sighed and said she did not think I needed a doctor. This was the mom I hated. One that could not deal with the problems I had. She thought the problems would just disappear.

So I started wearing pull-ups, but I could not get the fear out of my head. Just as bad as the fear was the hatred I had for mom.

I could deal with the fear. I just smiled more and tried to make mom happy. I asked her did she want to help me in my garden, but mom said she had to go out as she had to meet someone at the cafe. I joked and asked was it a date. Mom smiled and said she would be back in a few hours. I told her I would garden and then watch some TV.

When mom went, I started getting rid of the few weeds and watered my little patch. I was speaking with the plants, telling them how beautiful they were. I was the mother of my plants, and they would learn how much I loved them and would protect them from everything.

My cell phone rang. 

“Help! Help me. Come and save me… Being Sold!”

It was Noah! In a way, I was happy that he was still alive. Then I got some anxiety as I realized that he was in trouble. He needed my help to save him!

I decided that I needed the help of the police. So I rang the police and asked to speak with a policeman. I then started telling him everything. I talked about the camp and how General Cody wanted to break us. I told about all the punishments that I had to endure and the humiliation. I begged the police to close the place and find Noah as well as arrest the general.

I could not wait for an answer. Mom was home. She asked was there a friend on the telephone? I just shrugged my shoulder.

The phone rang and mom was speaking on it for several minutes. I heard her apologize and say that I had a vivid imagination. She promised she would deal with it. I calculated that it was the police, wanting to more about my phone call. I didn't wait to find out anything more, I ran to my bedroom and locked it.

Mom was outside calling me a liar and the camp did not finish its job. I was still a self-centered girl who lied and wanted all the attention. She demanded that I opened the door or she would send me back to camp.

I could not pretend anymore. I told mom that I hated her and said that everything I said about the camp. Mom stood there for an hour telling me she did not believe me and why could I not just be normal? I sat on my bed and swayed back and forth, even when it went quiet. I fell asleep crying and afraid.

The next day there was a knock at the door. It was a man's voice. I said I was not coming out. Then the man informed me I can do this the hard way or the easy way.

I chose to stay in my bed.

Then there were some noises as they were picking the lock on my door. The door opened and two men came in. I could see mom standing behind her.

”Heidi,” one man said, ”We are here to take you to RAD. This time it is serious. Your mother has given us full custody of you. There is one thing for certain, you are coming. Now get up and let's go to the car”

I screamed and shouted that I did not want to go. I kicked when they came close to me and punched as much as I could while calling every them every name in the book. Mom asked them do they not see what she has to deal with? This made me stop as I was so confused. I told them to take mom, as she needed the camp more.

In the end, they had me restrained. They put handcuffs on me and said that it was normal.

I cried as I realized that I was going back to RAD.

** _The end_ **

** _There will be a sequel... Hell at Bootcamp II_ **


End file.
